This blog is divided into two sections. The first deals with experiences in rescue/placement of homeless cats and dogs. The latter focuses on the treatment of wildlife in our city parks, specifically, Canada geese. These birds have recently been targeted by government officials for a 2/3rds "reduction" in population. Thousands have been cruelly rounded up and gassed in NY over the past several years. This is an issue that cries out for address and is covered substantially in this blog.

About Me

"Enter all the information about yourself that you want others to know."
What do I want others to know about me? Interesting question.
The answer will be less complex and likely to be discovered in the
context of the blog.
One's self is found in one's writing and doings in life (I suppose) as
opposed to what one says about one's self.
For now (9-08) simply to update the picture. -- My beautiful dogs,
Tina, Chance and me.

These days in Central Park, I rarely hear anything, save the occasional sounds of overhead helicopters or airliners.

.

I am missing the migratory Canada geese, who for the past several weeks, made brief rest stops at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir en route to mysterious points further south from New York.

.

It was a very exciting and exhilarating time, but all too brief and transitory.

.

I don't anticipate seeing more geese at the Reservoir until such time lakes and ponds upstate ice over and the geese (and other waterfowl) are forced to search open water in NYC. (Usually, mid December or early January.)

.

Thankfully, the Jackie Onassis Reservoir rarely freezes entirely over during the winter.

.

In the past, upstate geese would also take up brief residence at Harlem Meer during the harshest days of winter -- providing there was some open water there.

.

But, now with "Geese Police" patrolling all other Central Park water courses every day, it is unlikely any wintering geese would be allowed to stay at the Meer. -- A situation that would be very misfortunate for the four domestic ducks there for exactly one year now.

.

With absence of large, heavy birds like geese (or even Hector, the swan who was at Harlem Meer last winter) to help break up thin sheets of forming ice and maintain some open water, the Meer is likely to become a solid block of ice and that would surely place the four flightless ducks in immediate peril.

.

Mallards who are currently at the Meer have option to fly out when the going gets too tough and based on past experience, they surely will. (Only "Mister, Mister" the mallard with a broken wing would be, like the four domestics, forced to stay to be ultimately stranded on ice.)

.

Should the Meer freeze over this winter, (as is highly probable under current circumstances), all five ducks would require immediate rescue -- something not easy to accomplish when waterfowl are huddled on ice.

.

Additionally, a frozen lake often results in some irresponsible dog owners, allowing their dogs to freely run on the ice (a situation very dangerous for the dogs, as well as waterfowl).

.

Three years ago, "Joey," a flightless, Pekin duck had to be rescued from the Meer when attacked and bitten by a dog apparently allowed to run on ice. The rescue was a difficult and precarious one for Park Rangers trying to navigate carefully on snow and thin ice to capture Joey as recorded in the videos below.